What´s he/she look like?

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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > What´s he/she look like?

What´s he/she look like?

yanogator

OK, Alex, I ï¿½ll withdraw the word "lazy" and go with ellipsis, but I still disagree with calling it a contraction, while admitting that I ï¿½m really arguiing over nothing.

Bruce

13 Oct 2012

mr.sneeze

What ï¿½s he/she look like?

So. In one sentence ...

The abbreviation of ï¿½doesï¿½ is not ï¿½allowedï¿½ in the written language but is widely used in the spoken language.

@yanogator Your statement that it is ï¿½just a lazy pronunciationï¿½ is not far off the mark at all. ï¿½Lazyï¿½ connotes negativity of the abbreviated use of ï¿½doesï¿½ and perhaps ï¿½Ellipsisï¿½ is more technically correct. We could say that the omission of ï¿½doeï¿½ is a practical one. Itï¿½s just faster to speak this way and I believe in the states ï¿½What does ...ï¿½ often sounds more like ï¿½Waduz ...ï¿½ !

@ldthemagicman Your impromptu sentence ï¿½Whereï¿½s she work?ï¿½put a smile on my face. In Bermuda (where Iï¿½m from) many ï¿½nativesï¿½ actually say ï¿½Whereï¿½s she work at?ï¿½

contractions go in and out of fashion: does not was traditionally contracted to donï¿½t until the 19th century (just look at any of the Restoration playwrights, for example).

@almaz
very interesting as many of todayï¿½s youth (especially the rapper type) have returned to using ï¿½He/She donï¿½t ï¿½" If only they knew! :)

Thanks to all for taking the time out to address this question. Mr.Sneeze

13 Oct 2012

Whether it ï¿½s ï¿½lazy ï¿½, spoken only or whatever we will all probably be teaching it as ï¿½an exception ï¿½ in 20 or 30 years time. It ï¿½s a perfect example of how English constantly evolves and how grammar can rapidly go ï¿½out-of-date ï¿½.

I personally hate ï¿½wanna ï¿½ but it appears daily in many students ï¿½ work and who am I to argue against the people who write subtitles for movies.

Good discussion! Joy

14 Oct 2012

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